Don’t Buy It – Make Your Own! 8 Easy Homemade Peanut Butter Recipes

If you have ever read the label on that jar of peanut butter you’ve been buying for years, you probably wondered, what the heck is all that stuff in there? Why does peanut butter need sugar, anyway? So then you moved on to “natural” peanut butters but were kinda turned off by the layer of oil on top every time you opened it. Not only that, but every time you hear about some peanut butter recall due to a salmonella outbreak, don’t you hate looking at your jar, wondering if it’s safe, and then throwing it out just to be on the safe side? Good money down the drain. (Or in the trash, as the case might be.) Have you walked down the peanut butter aisle lately? All kinds of flavors have popped up in the past few years including raspberry flavored, cinnamon flavored, and even coconut cream flavored! But have you also noticed the prices on these?! Wow, nothing like spending 15 bucks on a jar of peanut butter only for your kids to decide they are sick of it half way through the jar! You don’t have to stop eating peanut butter because it’s too expensive, nor do you have to buy peanut butter with ingredients you don’t want. Make them yourself at home quickly, easily, and for far less than you would pay for those gourmet flavored peanut butters. You aren’t limited to peanuts, either. Once you get the hang of it, try almonds or macadamia nuts for a nice change of pace. Peanut butter, and in fact all nut butters, are super good for you. They are loaded with important healthy fats, protein, and can even help to prevent diabetes! We have 8 super easy, delicious recipes to get you started. Oh, and if you are a Nutella fan, we have one recipe that will knock your socks off! Let’s get going! Continue to Page 2 1. Basic Creamy Peanut Butter Ingredients: 2 Cups of unsalted, roasted peanuts, shelled A pinch of salt Instructions: Add the peanuts to your food processor with the metal blade attached Pulse until the peanuts are well chopped Add a pinch of salt (you can always add more later if you like) Now run the processor for about 3 minutes, scraping the side every minute If the peanut butter is too dry or not smooth enough for your tastes, add about 1 tablespoon of peanut oil or sunflower oil and run again for another minute Scoop into the container of your choice and store in the refrigerator. This will keep for about 2 months, but you will probably eat it well before then! 2. Crunchy Peanut Butter If you like the crunchy kind of peanut butter, you can make it by using the same recipe as above, but after the peanuts are well chopped, remove about half a cup of the peanuts. After your spread is ready, add the peanuts and stir them in by hand. Continue to Page 3 3. Honey Roasted This is so good, you will find yourself eating it right out of the jar! Ingredients: ¼ Cup of raw, organic honey 2 Cups of unsalted, roasted peanuts, shelled A pinch of salt Instructions: Heat your oven to 350 degrees Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Place the honey in a glass bowl and microwave on high for 20 to 30 seconds Add the peanuts and stir well so that all nuts are coated with honey Spread the nuts on the parchment paper, do not let them overlap Bake for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes Allow to cool completely Follow the steps for basic peanut butter above 4. Hazelnut Spread For those of you who are hooked on Nutella, this is a great alternative that has all of the flavor but none of the junk. Ingredients: 1 Cup of shelled hazelnuts ½ Cup of chocolate chips 1 Tablespoon of hazelnut oil (you can use sunflower oil in a pinch) ½ Teaspoon of real vanilla extract Pinch of salt Instructions: Put the hazelnuts in a cast iron skillet over medium heat and toast them for a few minutes. They should be light brown in color. Allow the nuts to cool, and then place them in your food processor for a few minutes. Add the vanilla, chocolate chips, salt and oil Continue to process until it pulls into a little ball. If it doesn’t after about 2 minutes, add a bit more oil. Continue blending until smooth and creamy If it seems a bit goopy at first, don’t worry, it will firm up after a few hours. Continue to Page 4 5. Chocolate Peanut Butter This is perhaps the most decadent treat ever! Don’t make too much at one time or you might find yourself eating it all day long! Ingredients: ½ Cup unsweetened cocoa powder (the darker the better!) 1 Cup of powdered sugar ¼ teaspoon of salt Instructions: Follow the basic recipe above and add these in after the peanuts have been chopped. You might need to increase the oil to 2 or even 3 tablespoons if it gets too thick. 6. Perfect Peanut Butter Cup If you love those peanut butter cups, then this recipe is going to rock your world! Any type of chocolate will work: semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate, just be certain you are using a good quality brand for best results. Ingredients: 1 Cup unsalted peanuts, shelled ½ Cup chocolate, broken into bits 1 Tablespoon of peanut or sunflower oil ½ Teaspoon of real vanilla Pinch of salt Instructions: Put the peanuts and chocolate into your food processor and blend until it starts to make peanut butter Add the oil (a bit less if you are using milk chocolate, a bit more with dark chocolate), extract, and salt. Continue to blend until super smooth. This might be a bit gooey at first, but it will firm up over the next few hours. Store in the refrigerator. Continue to Page 5 7. Roasted Peanut Butter You will use the same recipe as the basic peanut butter, but you are going to roast the nuts again for extra flavor. Put the nuts on a baking sheet and heat your oven to 350 degrees. Roast for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan or stirring the nuts after 5 minutes. Now follow the basic recipe. You can make chunky or creamy peanut butter with these nuts, the choice is yours. SEE ALSO: Make Your Own Homemade Healthy Green Powder 8. Cinnamon Raisin This is a family favorite you will make over and over and it’s so easy to do! Follow the basic peanut butter recipe, but as soon as the nuts are through being chopped and have started to make peanut butter, add 1 and a half teaspoons of cinnamon. When the peanut butter is finished, add 1/3 cup of raisins and mix them in well using a spoon. You can also make other flavor by adding about 2 parts peanut butter to one part of fruit or berries. If you want to try different spices (such as nutmeg) add about 1 tablespoon of spice for every cup of peanut butter. So for example, if you want to try some strawberry peanut butter, add a half cup of cut up or pureed strawberries to one cup of peanut butter. Don’t be afraid to experiment, you never know what unique flavor lies just around the corner! References: Cabdirect.org Jama.jamanetwork.com Link.springer.com

Don’t Buy It – Make Your Own! 8 Easy Homemade Peanut Butter Recipes

5. Chocolate Peanut Butter

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6. Perfect Peanut Butter Cup

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